AN alert seven-year-old smelled smoke and enabled her four siblings and parents to escape a small fire in the kitchen of their home early yesterday morning.

The fire service were alerted at just after 5am and used a hosereel jet to put out the blaze in the house in Kenilworth Drive, Earby.

Damage limited to a small area of the kitchen surfaces.

Two fire engines and crews, from Earby and Barnoldswick, responded to the incident using breathing apparatus used a hosereel jet to put the fire out and a portable fan unit to extract the smoke and heat.

Station manager Mick Strickland from Barnoldswick fire station said: “The seven-year-old daughter smelled smoke in the early hours of the morning and alerted her parents.

“They and all five children, aged between 18 months and seven.were safely out of the building when we arrived.

“It was really smart work by the young lady and limited the damage.

“She was very alert and had clearly listened to her fire safety lessons at school and ensured her family were ok.

“Damage was limited to a small area of the kitchen surfaces.

“The cause has been determined as discarded smoking materials.

“The smoke alarms in the property had been removed so we refitted new ones before we left.”